The talented Rosemary Harris continues to pick up steam, garner acclaim, and collect fans with her quirky, beloved Dirty Business Mystery series.

Fugitive Mom. That’s the tabloid headline that rocks Springfield, Connecticut when one of the town’s favorite ladies is discovered to be an escaped convict. With a little help from the always game Lucy Cavanaugh, Paula is hired to find out which of her neighbors is a fugitive from the law and why the long-kept secret has finally come out.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rosemary Harris has worked in marketing for Crown Publishers and American Express Travel Related Services and as a producer for Disney/ABC and WNET. She lives in New York City and Connecticut.

MY REVIEW:

Rosemary Harris is at her finest in this third delightful book in the Dirty Business Mystery Series. Back is gardening professional Paula Holliday who runs a small gardening business in Springfield, CT. Like most of us, even Paula is finding business to be slow going during these poor economic times. Trying to keep up with things financially, she continues to spend a lot of time at her friend Babe’s Paradise Diner where she is working on remodeling the landscaping around the place. Even the diner is feeling the stress of the times and Babe is changing things up to cater to the “Main Street Moms” who love to frequent the place when not running carpool for all their children’s activities.

One of Paula’s regular clients is Caroline Sturgis who has also been a friend to Paula for years. Caroline is trying to convince Paula into going in with her and buying out Guido Chiaramonte's nursery and garden design center. Caroline is willing to provide the financial backing with Paula being the owner and running the place. It seems too good to be true and although Paula is interested, she does wonder why Caroline hesitates to put her name on any of the documents when she would be the one with the most to lose financially.

On the way out of the diner, Caroline runs into a stranger who says something to her, and Caroline takes off quickly. The deadheaded trucker is driving back home and thought he knew Caroline and it seemed to upset her enough that she disappeared…literally. Gone for days, an anonymous tip to the police, explains what happened.

Shockingly, Caroline is really an escaped prisoner named Monica Jane. On the run for years, a reward for her apprehension was offered and everyone in town thinks that Paula, needing the money, was the tipster who turned their once fellow “Main Street Mom“, and friend, in.

Caroline's husband Grant is in shock and tells Paula he suddenly doesn’t know the women he was married to. He wants to find out who turned her in and he, for one, does not think it was Paula. In fact, he asks Paula to take on the “case” and help him find out what this is all about. And who would have turned Caroline in and why? Surely not just for the money! Grant wants his wife back and his children’s mother home where she belongs. He doesn’t know this “Monica” person! How can this be? Even if it is true that she was the person who was trafficking drugs as a teenager, Caroline is a different person now, and he still loves her.

Paula finally agrees to help Grant and so when the Paradise diner is broken into, she begins to think there may be a connection somehow with Caroline. What of that stranger that day? Was he involved in all this? Investigating “The Fugitive Mom”, as the tabloids now refer to Caroline/Monica, with help from reporter friend Lucy and Police Sergeant Mike, it isn’t long before Paula gets in so deep and finds that there are others out there who don’t want her poking around. Evidently, someone is interested in the supposed money that Caroline knew about and took off with all those years ago. Once convicted of being the head of a drug operation as a teen, Monica, the high school cheerleader, was sent to prison but while on a work release detail, she just up and walked away. Escaping to create a new life and persona for herself, Monica leaves all that ugliness behind. All those who know Caroline still can’t believe she ever was that Monica person. In fact, Paula begins to realize that Caroline is not the only one who isn't who everyone thinks they are!

What Paula does and finds out makes for lots of twists to a very appealing cozy mystery. With realistic as well as kooky characters, Rosemary Harris is well on her way to being a household name in this genre. Paula and her friends in the Dirty Business Mystery Series are the kind of characters with down to earth values and just enough humor and suspense to make for enjoyable reading. The amateur detective/horticulturist adds that extra something to please everyone, and we all hope to see more of this series, and soon!

WIN ALL THREE BOOKS IN THE DIRTY

BUSINESS MYSTERY SERIES!

WATCH FOR INFO ON THESE TWO THAT

COMPLETE THE SET YOU CAN WIN,

COMING THIS SATURDAY!

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO ROSEMARY HARRIS, I HAVEA WONDERFUL GIVEAWAY JUST IN TIMEFOR HALLOWEEN! ALL THREE BOOKSIN THE DIRTY BUSINESS MYSTERY SERIES! DEAD HEAD IS NEWEST, BOOK #3

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comments:

Wow, I just found your Blog (thanks Bermuda Onion) and the first entry is a book giveaway. Gosh, I love a good mystery series and this sounds like a good one. One of my husbands favorite games is name a profession that doesn't have someone solving crimes. I really like gardening mysteries (Rosemary and Thyme is a fave) so I can't wait to start a new one. Oh and a head's up, the link to Rosemary Harris' web site doesn't work so I just Googled it.

I love mysteries like this, what is really intriguing is why did Caroline keep her identity secret even from her husband. It must have been something serious. Very happy to find out that this is a part of a series.

I love a good cozy and this one sounds great. It seems to me that Caroline/Monica Jane has turned over a new leaf and started again. I can't imagine how I'd feel if I found out my husband had escaped from prison before we had met. I'd love to read this one. Thanks for the chance.

I like mysteries, particularly when independent, every-day women are the main characters. This book reminds me of one of my favorite shows, "Desperate Housewives", where the women/friends are always dealing with some little mystery and how they come together to solve it.